It was only in the 88th minute of the match that Aritz Aduriz came on the field and scored the match deciding goal 65 seconds after he was sent on the pitch.
Athletic de Bilbao players celebrate Spanish forward Aritz Aduriz' goal during the Spanish league football match between Athletic Club Bilbao and FC Barcelona at the San Mames stadium in Bilbao on August 16, 2019. (Photo by ANDER GILLENEA / AFP)
Barcelona had a forgettable start to their La Liga campaign as they first lost their star player Luis Suarez to injury and then went on to lose the match to Athletic Bilbao 1-0 post an outstanding late volley from substitute Aritz Aduriz.
Notably, Suarez was forced out of action in the 38th minute of the match due to what seemed like a calf injury. It was only in the 88th minute of the match that Aritz Aduriz came on the field and scored the match deciding goal 65 seconds after he was sent on the pitch. Aritz Aduriz had announced that this will be his last La Liga season, aware that his time is up, as he is planning to retire at the end of this season.
However, the 38-year-old’s acrobatic goal won Athletic Bilbao the match against the defending champions of the league.
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“Bloody hell, the feeling was one of tremendous happiness,” Athletic manager Gaizka Garitano said.
He added that he was not surprised at all as he knew that ball in the air near the box is Aritz Aduriz’s territory and he did not disappoint.
However, everyone else was surprised. Barcelona were not supposed to lose but given how things have worked against them in the last few weeks, this has only added to their woes. Lionel Messi, their star striker is not available for selection because of injury, and now Luis Suarez has injured himself in the first half of the match. Antoine Griezmann’s presence on the ground was not felt at all as he did not seem to produce any magical moment or two that could change the narrative in their favour.
Even worse was Ousmane Dembélé who lost the ball every time he got it and seemed to present no threat at all. The defeat has only raised more questions for them rather than answering the concerns they had prior to the game.
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